More than a hundred people have died trying to climb Mount Everest many of them from lack of oxygen or extreme cold but now a possible new threat far more strange. Has begun to present itself a possible threat. Where a human face here's ABC's John dot net. Up until this weekend it had been a spectacular exciting assent the Italian -- Moro Swiss climber who -- decade and behind the camera. Photographer Jonathan Griffith leaving base camp behind getting up -- 20000 feet another challenging 8000 to go and loving it all the way. And then they were attacked they say attacked right there on the mountain in the recorded words of -- -- -- Russian and and he's just. Right. And who was day. A group of -- as they said the almost legendary masters of mountaineering who come from that region. And who make a living bringing climbers safely up and back down from Everest speak. According to the climbers the incident happened Saturday some 21000 feet up just above what is known as camp to on Everest southern approach where some shippers were laying ropes for the next stage. And the three Europeans were instructed to keep a distance while that was happening. The trio apparently decided to keep climbing butt off to one side. Beat claim to -- -- -- to be shaken so you're not gonna teach their active church. At some -- in -- many. Kind of a cult like. Just issued a post didn't like and there -- a -- are being. An argument for miles high up. Where words were exchanged and some physical contact made and then the Europeans say they were set upon -- what they described as a crowd of surpluses to stand alone -- The chair -- leading the angry and -- stuck to compete and they were true installments -- us. They -- -- our American girl who just a Katrina and -- us. They do not touch any wants Douglas overlook. It was the opposite of what these earlier happy pictures showed they say they were told to leave within an hour or someone would get killed they headed out. Everest is a rough place but this is different and it's not clear if the tension unleashed on Saturday with something personal or whether it went deeper. One thing Everest does well is bring together -- -- risk takers have different cultures who survived by cooperating. Although in recent years there have been so many outsiders arriving to take on the challenge close to 700 last year alone the climbers can truly get in each other's way. Some expedition companies charge of 200000. Dollars for tourists who want to make the climb despite their not being professionals. YouTube has too many gruesome videos of trackers who did not make it left behind along the mountain. Tonight according to the FaceBook page of -- -- -- His group has been having meetings with organizers government authorities and the sharpest to figure out what went wrong. And whether they want to resume the climb. Because on Everest it's supposed to be the mountain that's the danger. And the other guys. Who has sex. For Nightline I'm John Donvan in Washington.

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